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The Amazing Race Design Challenge II
The Amazing Race Design Challenge II is a season of the popular reality television show The Amazing Race, in which the race course was designed by RFF user 'racer'. The season premiered on July 9, 2012, racing across all seven continents for the first time in the show's history, and visiting at least six continents for the first time since The Amazing Race 5, and was hosted by Phil Keoghan. Urban Bike Racers Kym Perfetto and Alli Forsythe emerged as the winners of the race. Production Development and filming The race began filming on January 14, 2012, travelling across six continents in twelve legs. This season of the race included the first ever visits to Trinidad & Tobago, Antarctica, Comoros, Angola, Armenia, Tajikistan and Papua New Guinea. The race also visited Greece for the first time since The Amazing Race 9. The race introduced a new twist called the Forced Speed Bump, which allowed one team to force another team to complete a Speed Bump. This twist appeared only once on the race course, during the fourth leg. Casting The cast was made up of eleven all-female teams who had competed on previous editions of the race. Notable teams included beauty queens Dustin Selzer and Kandice Pelletier, former NFL cheerleaders Jaime Edmondson and Cara Rosenthal, sisters Kisha and Jen Hoffman and the winners, Charla Baklayan Faddoul and Mirna Hindoyan. Other contestants included home shopping hosts Brook Roberts and Claire Champlin, doctors Nat Strand and Kat Chang and professional poker players Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle. Results The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Placements are listed in finishing order: *A red team placement means the team was eliminated. *A purple ε indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg. *An underlined leg number indicates that there was no mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were ordered to continue racing. The first place team was still awarded a prize for that leg. *An underlined blue team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg of the race. *Matching colored symbols (orange +, teal ^, magenta –, crimson = and olive ~) indicate teams who worked together during part of the leg as a result of an Intersection. *A green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward clue. *A brown ⊃ or a cyan ⋑ indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn; ⊂ or ⋐ indicates the team who received it. *A yellow > indicates that the team chose to use the Forced Speed Bump; < indicates the team who received it. *'Note 1:' On Leg 1, Brooke & Claire mistakenly travelled by taxi when the clue instructed them to walk. They arrived 7th at the Pit Stop, but were assessed a 30-minute penalty. 2 teams checked-in during the penalty time, dropping them to 9th. *'Note 2:' On Leg 2, Brittany, Tiffany, Caroline, Ashley and Kelly quit the Roadblock, incurring a four-gour penalty. Jaime & Cara, Lisa & Michelle and Brook & Claire continued with the challenge, until only Kelly & Shevonne's penalty was yet to expire, after Jaime & Cara decided to play the Express Pass and the following 2 teams also complete the Roadblock then checkin to the Pit Shop to avoid elimination. Thus, Kelly & Shevonne being the last team to arrive and being eliminated from the race. *'Note 3:' On Leg 7, a taxi driver decided to press charges against Jaime for verbal abuse. The charges were eventually dropped, but Jaime & Cara were unable to complete the remainder of the leg. *'Note 4:' Leg 8 was a 'To-Be-Continued Leg'. A Double U-Turn appeared on Leg 8, but teams were surprised to discover that the leg was not over, and a second Double U-Turn appeared on Leg 9. *'Note 5:' After being U-Turned on Leg 9, beauty queens Dustin & Kandice paid federal agents Caroline & Jennifer to utilise the power of the second Double U-Turn on home shopping hosts Brook & Claire. Episode title quotes Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers. #"A Much More Enjoyable First Leg Than Catapulting A Watermelon In My Face!" - Claire #"The Excitement Of Being The Only Lawyer Left On The Race" - Kym #"We Deliberately Lost This Leg" - Kandice #"We're Gonna Start A Cat-Fight!" - Jaime #"I Haven't Regurgitated This Much Food Since That Polish Sausage" - Jennifer #"Thinly Sliced Anchovies" – Ingredient recited by racers in Roadblock #"Taxi Homicide" - Cara #"The Yield Queens Strike Again!" - Natalie #"Who Needs To Buy Yields When You Can Buy U-Turns!?" - Dustin #"I Think A War Is Breaking Out" - Jamie #"She's Just Bitter Because Our Beauty Queen Sandwich Tastes So Sweet" - Alli #"This is the Most Stupid Day Ever!" - Brandy #"Time To Turn Off The Life Support" - Carol #"If You Beat That Taxi, I'll Give You A Million Dollars!" - Nadiya Prizes Individual prizes were awarded to the first family to complete each leg. #The Express Pass #Trip for two to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil #Trip for two to London, England #Trip for two to Nassau, Bahamas #Trip for two to Jiuzhaigou, China #$10,000 Cash each #Trip for two to Milan, Italy #Trip for two to Barcelona, Spain #A 2013 Ford Taurus SHO each #Trip for two to Auckland, New Zealand #$20,000 Cash each #Trip for two to Curaçao #Trip for two to Hokkaido, Japan #$1,000,000 Race summary Leg 1 (United States → Trinidad & Tobago) * Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Fenway Park) (Starting Line) * Boston (Logan International Airport) to Crown Point, Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago (Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson International Airport) *Scarborough (Coco Reef Resort) *Scarborough (Fort King George) *Pigeon Point (Pigeon Point Heritage Park Jetty) In the first Roadblock of the race, one team member had to learn a simple tune on a traditional Tobagonian percussion instrument known as a steelpan. Then, they had to don traditional Carnival costumes and play their tune while marching through the streets as part of a Carnival procession. Additional tasks *At the Starting Line, Phil informed teams that they would have no money to begin the race. Teams had to set up food stalls and sell their products to the locals. Teams were not required to complete this task, nor was there any maximum or minimum time that was allotted to complete the task, but those who chose not to participate or left early were left without any money, while those who sold a lot of food would end up on a later flight, but have no financial difficulties for the leg, and potentially for the whole race. Teams were forbidden from begging until arriving in Trinidad & Tobago. *At the Coco Reef Resort, teams travelled by boat to a popular tourist attraction known as the Maverick Shipwreck. Once there, both team members had to dive thirty metres and search the interior of the shipwreck for small race flags, accompanied by professional divers. Once each team member retrieved one flag, they could exchange them for their next clue. Leg 2 (Trinidad & Tobago → Argentina) * Crown Point (Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson International Airport) to Mendoza, Argentina (Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport) *Mendoza (Plaza Pedro del Castillo) *Mendoza (Camping Suizo) *Mendoza (La Fontaine de L'Observatoire) In this Detour, teams had to choose between Make a Match or Make a Batch. In Make a Match, teams had to drive themselves to the vineyard in the Maipú wine-making district. Once there, teams had to use pictures of five different varieties of grapes to find the grapes in the vineyard. Once they correctly identified and picked one bunch of each grape variety - matching it with the photo - teams would receive their next clue. In Make a Batch, teams had to drive a shorter distance to the chocolate shop at Av Las Heras. Once there, they had to watch a demonstration and then use the provided ingredients to create enough chocolate to fill up the moulds for one hundred small chocolate cubes. Once their work was approved, teams had to transport the moulds to the refrigerator, before receiving their next clue. Teams were no longer Intersected after the completion of the Detour. In this leg's Roadblock, teams participated in a Switchback to one of the most notorious Roadblocks in the history of The Amazing Race, occurring on Leg 3 of Season 7. One team member had to eat four pounds of a traditional Argentinian feast containing cow rib, pork sausage, blood sausage, cow intestine, cow udder, cow kidney and part of a cow's salivary gland. Once their tray was wiped clean, they would receive their next clue. Leg 3 (Argentina → Antarctica) * Mendoza (Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport) to Ushuaia, Argentina (Malvinas Argentinas International Airport) * Ushuaia (Malvinas Argentinas International Airport) to South Orkney Islands, British Antarctic Territory, Antarctica (Rothera Research Station Runway) *South Orkney Islands (Signy Research Station - Bonner Lab) *South Orkney Islands (Signy Research Station - Bransfield House) *South Orkney Islands (Signy Research Station - Operations Tower) In this Roadblock, one team member had to battle against extreme cold as they participated in the Bonner Lab's diving program. After putting on appropriate gear, the team member would be completely submerged, along with a professional diver. If they could endure the cold for one minute without surfacing, they would receive their next clue. If teams failed, they would have to go to the back of any formed queue. In this Detour, teams had to choose between two activities essential to maintaining everyday life on the research station, choosing between Nourish or Nurture. In Nourish, teams had to enter one of the southernmost kitchens in the world. They had to take orders from ten hungry scientists and then use the provided ingredients and recipes to prepare their food. While cooking the food could be a long waiting game, teams were able to stay indoors, away from the severe cold. In Nurture, teams had to help deliver packages from the loved ones of the scientists. After finding the base's post office, teams had to deliver ten packages to the living quarters of ten of the scientists on the base. While teams would have to brace the severe cold, scientists all live in the same areas, and teams had a greater control over the speed of completing the task. Technical notes *All teams were transported on the same aircraft to the Signy Research Station on South Orkney Islands. Teams were released at two different departure times, based on their arrival order at Mendoza's Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport. Leg 4 (Antarctica → South Africa → Comoros) * South Orkney Islands (Signy Research Station Runway) to Johannesburg, South Africa (OR Tambo International Airport) *Johannesburg (Soccer City) * Johannesburg (OR Tambo International Airport) to Moroni, Grand Comore, Comoros (Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport) *Moroni (Nouvelle Mosquée de Vendredi) *Moroni (Hotel le Moroni - Old Pier) *Grand Comore (Mount Karthala) In the Forced Speed Bump, one team could force another team to complete an extra task of washing the feet of ten worshippers entering the mosque, before continuing with the race. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Wedding and Weaving. In Wedding, teams had to partake in a traditional Comoran marriage ceremony. One team member had to learn a short song while the other learnt the accompanying dance. They then had to perform simultaneously. If they remained in sync with the music and each other, they would receive their next clue. In Weaving, teams had to select a partially complete straw basket and sew the basket together using the provided tools and materials, in order to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to attach the mast onto a traditional dhow boat using a system of intricate knots. Then, they had to sail their dhow boat with a sailor's assistance, in search of one of five islets. Teams would find their next clue inside a treasure chest at each islet, but each treasure chest contained only two clues. Additional tasks * teams must perform on 3 training of the football course. The order of the games is chose by teams. The first training is need teams to get a ball over obstacles and kick to the line. Second mission will need one team member give the ball to the other team member and kick it in to the soccer gantry. When 5 balls are scored and they are kicking before the white line, they will receive an item. Third course will need teams to be getting balls from 6 soccer players. When teams get the ball, that team member must kick it to the other player to catch it by foot. Once teams have done these three task without not following the rules of the soccer. They will make their way to next location - Moroni, Comoros. *Teams had to hike along the base of the Mount Karthala volcano with an experienced hiker, in search of the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. Technical notes *This leg was submitted as part of Round 1 in the competition, taking 3rd place. Leg 5 (Comoros → Angola) * Moroni (Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport) to Luanda, Angola (Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport) *Luanda (Fortaleza de São Miguel) *Quiçama National Park *Luanda (Palácio de Ferro) In this Fast Forward, teams had to select one of the medieval Portuguese cannons kept at the Fortaleza de São Miguel and transport it almost three kilometres to the Pit Stop at Palácio de Ferro. The first team to arrive at the Pit Stop with their cannon in tow could claim the Fast Forward and check in. In this Detour, teams had to choose between two tasks relating to two different times in Angola's history, choosing between Shields and Shafts. In Shields, teams had to select two traditional Bantu shields, used for protection by the Bantu people of the area. Then, using traditional paints, teams had to decorate their shields to match any two of the ten sample shields on display, in order to receive their next clue. In Shafts, teams had to transport ten barrels of gunpowder - commonly used by the Portuguese who occupied this area - along a marked path, and stack them in a 4x3x2x1 pyramid. Once approved, teams had to watch a demonstration before loading a traditional Portuguese handgun and shooting a target in the distance. Once each team member connected with the target, they would receive their next clue. In this Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a conservation movement known as 'Operation Noah's Ark'. That person would join a group of animal control specialists and assist them in preparing an elephant, an ostrich and a wildebeest for transportation, before helping to load them onto a cargo plane. Similar procedures were conducted in this operation to help conserve the wildlife in the national park. Once the three animals were loaded and ready for transportation, teams would receive their next clue. Leg 6 (Angola → Sweden & Denmark) * Luanda (Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport) to Copenhagen, Denmark (Copenhagen Airport) *Malmö, Sweden (Stortorget) *Malmö, (Biskopsudden) * Copenhagen, Denmark (Sankt Jørgens Allé or Henrik Jonsbak) *Copenhagen (Ida Davidsen) *Copenhagen (VM Houses) In this Speed Bump, xxx would each have to put on 5 pairs of stockings at once. Then they had to bounce on a trampoline, and had to continue bouncing while trying to take off the socks and hang them on a clothesline above. Once all 10 pairs of socks were hanging, they would get their next clue. The clue provided in Malmö sent the teams back to Copenhagen for a Detour which gave them a choice between "Parking Space" or "Wedding Cake". In "Parking Space", teams traveled to Sankt Jørgens Allé where they had to set up a parklet (a sidewalk extension). Teams only had 30 minutes to set up one of two possible parklet designs in a parking space. If it was exactly as the set up in the photograph, the judge would give them the next clue. If they were incorrect, they could use up the remaining time to make corrections, but once the 30 minutes were up, they had to move over to a new parking space and start over. In "Wedding Cake", teams travelled to the Det Franske Conditori bakery where they had to put together a traditional wedding cake known as a kransekage, with all of the necessary tiers and tiny Danish flags. They then had to transport the cake across town via Bullitt freight bicycle to the Allegade 10 restaurant. If the maître d'hôtel saw that the cake was made correctly, he would approve the delivery, and sign the team's receipt which they would return to the head baker, Henrik, to receive the next clue. The clue teams received at the Detour instructed them to travel to the restaurant Ida Davidsen where they picked up the next clue, which was for the Roadblock that asked, "Who has a memory for faces?". One team member had to take a smørrebrød (sandwich) order from two restaurant patrons, remembering the menu number of the two sandwiches they each ordered, and then use a menu to memorize the four sandwiches' contents. They then had to relay the order to Ida Davidsen herself, and, if the order was correct, they were allowed to deliver the sandwiches to the customers who would give them the next clue. This clue directed teams to the Pit Stop at the VM Houses apartments. Additional tasks *When team arrive at Copenhagen, teams were instructed to pick one of a series of marked Ford C-Max hybrid vehicles and their next clue. The clue instructed them to take the Øresund Bridge to Malmö, Sweden, and to drive conservatively. If they used less than 0.10 US gallons (0.38 L) of gasoline upon arrival, they were automatically given the next clue. If they used more than 0.10 gallons, they had to as pop stars and choose an ABBA song. They would perform this song on the street for locals, and had to earn 100 krona from locals. However, teams were only permitted to beg once the audio track switched over to Money, Money, Money. *Teams were then directed to the park at Biskopsudden, at there, one team member had to put on a pair of roller skates. Then, each team member had to stay at opposite ends of one of the roads in the park with frying pans, trying to pass a pancake between each other using them. Teams had to exchange the pancake every time they passed a mark along the road, of which there were at least 30. Once at the end, teams then had to toss the pancake onto a plate. Once 15 pancakes, taken one at a time through this process, were on the plate, teams would get their next clue. Leg 7 (Denmark → Greece) * Copenhagen (Copenhagen Airport) to Athens, Greece (Elefthérios Venizélos International Airport) *Athens (Tower of the Winds) *Athens (Acropolis) *Athens (Acropolis - Parthenon) * Athens (Piraeus Ferry Terminal) to Aegina, Greece (Aegina Ferry Port) *Aegina Island *Aegina (Temple of Alphaea) In this Fast Forward, teams had to bite their way through 3000 pieces of traditional Greek dolmades to find a miniature race flag hidden inside just one of the pieces. The team who found the elusive flag could claim the Fast Forward. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Olympic Gold and Olympian God. In Olympic Gold, teams had to drive to Panathinaiko Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympic Games. Then, both team members had to complete an 800-metre run (two laps) around the course. Once complete, teams had to complete four athletic field codes, choosing between long jump, high jump, javelin and hammer throw, with each team member completing two of the four events. Once everything was completed, teams would receive their next clue. In Olympian God, teams had to drive to the Acropolis Museum. Then, teams had to spend as much time as they wanted studying the exhibit about Greek Olympian deities, before heading to another room to answer a 'mystery question'. When teams entered the room, they found sculptures of ten gods – Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Pluto, Hephaestus, Hermes, Poseidon and Zeus. In addition, they found replicas of eleven items associated with these gods and had to place each item next to the corresponding god or goddess. One god had two items. If their items were correctly placed, they would receive their next clue. If not, they had to wait ten minutes before returning to the exhibit, studying and trying again. In this Roadblock, one team member had to choose an 'evil eye charm'. These charms are commonly found in Greece and parts of the Middle East and are used to ward off evil. Then, the team member had to search a row of 15 marked stalls – each containing hundreds of similar charms – for the one charm that was identical to their own. If they were correct, the stall owner would hand them their next clue. If they were incorrect, the stall owner wlould take the charm and tell them to pick a new charm and start over. Additional tasks *At the Tower of the Winds, teams had to use the provided pieces to assemble an ancient Greek sundial. Once complete, they had to use a mathematical formula involving the current time of day to tilt the sundial at a specific angle and reflect light in the direction of their next clue. *At the Acropolis, teams had to assemble a three-dimensional sculpture of the Parthenon, before searching the premises for their next clue. Teams with an eye for detail would notice one of the columns missing on their sculpture, indicating the location of their cluebox. Technical notes *This leg was submitted as part of Round 2 in the competition, taking 3rd place. The leg was slightly edited for the purpose of this race course. Leg 8 (Greece → Armenia) * Athens (Elefthérios Venizélos International Airport) to Yerevan, Armenia (Zvartnots International Airport) *Yerevan (Soviet Olympic Gym) *Yerevan (Vernissage Markets) *Yerevan (Armenian Independence Balcony) *Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin Cathedral) *Lusarat (Khor Virap Monastery) In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between two items commonly sold in the markets, choosing between Playing the Music and Playing with Dolls. In Playing the Music, teams had to learn to play a short tune on the national instrument of Armenia - the duduk. Once they performed it correctly to the musician's approval, teams would receive their next clue. In Playing with Dolls, teams had to use the provided supplies to create two traditional small dolls from scratch. Once their dolls were approved, teams would receive their next clue. In this Roadblock, one team member had to pick up a camera and a photograph of a unique Armenian khachkar. Then, they had to search the expansive grounds of the first state-built church in the world to find the khachkar in their photo. Once they found it, they had to photograph it and show it to the priest, in order to receive their next clue. If teams were incorrect, the priest would take their photo and give them a new one and tell them to start again. Additional tasks *At the Soviet Olympic Gym, each team member had to take three attempts to lift as much weight as possible, while participating in weightlifting. After finishing, a judge would calculate their best result as a percentage of their body weight, before ranking all teams based on their performance. Teams would then receive their next clue in the following morning at five-minute intervals, based on their performance in this task. *After completing the Detour, teams received a postcard depicting the balcony from which Aram Manukian declared Armenian Independence on May 28, 1918, bearing the words, 'Caution; Double U-Turn Ahead!' Teams had to identify the location of this balcony in order to find their next clue, along with the Double U-Turn. Technical notes *The U-Turn on this leg of the race was a Double U-Turn. *When teams arrived at the Pit Stop, there was no mandatory rest period and they were automatically handed their next clue and told to continue racing. *This leg was submitted as part of Round 5 in the competition (along with Leg 8), taking 1st place. Leg 9 (Armenia) * Lusarat (Khor Virap Monastery - Dungeon of Saint Gregory the Illuminator) *Yerevan (Ararat Brandy Company) *Yerevan (Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial) *Lake Sevan Peninsula (Sevanavank) *Yerevan (The Cascade) In this Detour, teams had to choose between National Fruit and National Drink. In National Fruit, teams had to find one of the six marked trucks nearby and unload, transport and deliver all twenty boxes of pomegranates to a fruit stall located 250 metres down the road. Once their delivery was completed, teams had to search for a fake pomegranate figurine hidden somewhere within their twenty boxes, in order to receive their next clue. In National Drink, teams had to enter the brandy factory, where they would be presented with a bottle of the company's most famous cognac brandy. Then, using only their senses of sight and smell, teams had to search through one hundred glasses of brandy to find the one containing the same brandy in their bottle, in order to receive their next clue. Teams were allowed to submit only one guess every five minutes. In this Roadblock, one team member had to summon the intestinal fortitude required to ingest a dish made with the Sevan trout, a species of trout endemic to Lake Sevan and the signature dish of this region of Armenia. Once teams stomached this fishy meal, they would receive their next clue. Additional tasks *Teams had to decend into the dungeon where Saint Gregory the Illuminator was held captive for over 12 years, before returning to Yerevan. *At the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial, teams had to place a flower in remembrance of the victims of the Armenian Genocide beside the Eternal Flame in the memorial, before receiving their next clue. Teams encountered the Single U-Turn prior to completing this task. Technical notes *The U-Turn on this leg of the race was a Single U-Turn. *This leg was submitted as part of Round 5 in the competition (along with Leg 7), taking 1st place. Leg 10 (Armenia → Russia) * Yerevan (Zvartnots International Airport) to Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia (Sochi International Airport) *Sochi (Bolshoy Ice Palace) *Krasnaya Polyana (Freestyle Skiing & Snowboarding Park) *Sochi National Park (Orekhovsky Waterfall) *Sochi (Morskoy Vokzal) In this Detour, teams had to choose between two tasks related to the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games, which will be held in Sochi, choosing between Two Goals and Two Mascots. In Two Goals, teams had to join a game of ice sledge hockey, passing the puck to one another while manoeuvring the tricky sledges. Once each team member scored a goal against a professional Paralympic goalkeeper, they would receive their next clue. In Two Mascots, teams had to dress up as the mascots of the 2014 Paralympic Games, Luchik - 'Ray of Light' - and Snezhinka - 'Snowflake'. Then, teams had to find twenty locals willing to take photos with them. Once they captured twenty photos, teams could return to their dressing rooms and print off all twenty photos, to find their next clue printed on the back of one of their photos. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to load a hybrid wisent bull with a number of provided supplies. Then, with the assistance of a trained professional, teams had to transport their bull along a one-mile marked path to a holding pen. Once there, they could unload their supplies and use them to construct a traditional Nenets tent. Once their tent is approved, teams would receive their next clue. Additional tasks *At Krasnaya Polyana, teams had to ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain and then ski down the marked ski slopes to find a series of ten tables, each bearing fifty shot glasses. Teams had to find a shot glass containing vodka, hidden among various similarly-coloured alternatives such as water and soft drinks. There was one vodka glass at each table, but teams had no way of knowing whether or not a vodka glass had already been taken from a particular table. Once teams found a vodka glass, they would receive their next clue, but if they chose an incorrect alternative, they had to drain the contents of the glass before trying again. Technical notes *This leg was submitted as part of Round 3 in the competition, taking 1st place. *The task at Krasnaya Polyana came to be known as 'skivodka'. Leg 11 (Russia → Tajikistan) * Sochi (Sochi International Airport) to Dushanbe, Tajikistan (Dushanbe International Airport) *Dushanbe (Vahdat Palace) *Qurghonteppa (Cotton Fields) *Qurghonteppa (Stella Independence Monument) In this Speed Bump, sisters Kisha & Jen had to transport a log across the grounds of the palace. Once complete, they had to measure it down to the appropriate size and cut it down, preparing it for use in the ritual at the Roadblock. In this Fast Forward, teams had to make their way to a nearby restauarant, where they had to consume a tasting plate of various varieties of halva desserts. If teams could stomach this incredibly sweet taste sensations, they could claim the Fast Forward award. In this Roadblock, teams had to experience an ancient Tajik ritual known as fire-jumping. One team member had to watch carefully as varying groups of one to five people participated in the ritual by jumping over the fire. Then, teams had to answer a mystery question: "How many people jumped over the fire in total?" If they presented the correct answer, teams would receive their next clue. If not, they had to try again, when the ritual next occurred. The ritual would take place every ten minutes, but the total number of people jumping on each turn would vary (always between 100-200 total), and teams could only submit one guess with each performance of the ritual. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Cotton Fun and Tea Run. In Cotton Fun, teams had to join workers in the cotton fields by harvesting enough cotton to fill a large container up to a marked line. Then, teams had to take control of a crane, to stack ten cotton prisms on a 5x2 formation on top of a pre-existing stack. Once their cotton was perfectly in line, teams would receive their next clue. In Tea Run, teams had to use the provided ingredients to brew a pot of traditional Tajik green tea. Once their tea was approved, teams had to pour out six glasses of tea, and travel through the nearby streets, carrying the tea on a tray, searching for three specific addresses provided in their clue. Once teams delivered two glasses of tea to each address and collected a receipt from each address, they could return to the start and exchange their receipts for their next clue. If teams spilled their tea, they would be required to go back to the start and brew more tea. Leg 12 (Tajikistan → China) * Qurghonteppa (Qurghonteppa International Airport) to Kunming (Kunming Wujiaba International Airport) to Lijiang (Lijiang Airport) *Lijiang (Naxi restaurant) *Lijiang (Jade Dragon Mountain) *Lijiang (Spruce Meadow) *Lijiang (Old Town of Lijiang) *Lijiang (Feihua Chushui) *Lijiang (Eternal Tower on Lion Hill) At the start of the leg, teams were told to travel to Lijiang, China, with they had to take a provided flight to Kunming in their arrangements and they then took a train to Lijiang. Upon arrival, they had to head to Jade Dragon Mountain, teams had to properly saddle a yak, after which one team member rode the yak across a portion of the Baishui River to receive their next clue. The clue received sending teams to Spruce Meadow and rode a gondola up the mountain for the Roadblock, asking "Who thinks they're living a charmed life?". One team member had to search through tens of thousands of wooden charms for a set of twelve that correspond to the symbols of the Chinese zodiac. Once they collected the charms, they had to place them on a mobile in the correct order which was the traditional procession of the signs according to myth – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig – before they could receive their next clue. The clue received teams instructing them to Old Town of Lijiang, and they had to put a wish into a prayer wheel via a slot that corresponded to their sign in the Chinese zodiac, and call out the name of their sign. Once they got the right signs, they would receive their next clue which it discovered for the Detour: Communicate and Renovate. In Communicate, one team member would view some pictographic symbols from the Naxi language. The other team member would have to draw these symbols on a chalkboard, following only verbal clues from their partner. In Renovate, teams would have to paint and dress a horse carriage to match a given example. The clue teams where they received and directed to Eternal Tower on Lion Hill for the Pit Stop. Additional tasks *At the Naxi restaurant, team members would each have to properly cook two Baba cakes. *At the Jade Dragon Mountain, teams had to properly saddle a yak, after which one team member rode the yak across a portion of the Baishui River to receive their next clue. Leg 13 (China → Papua New Guinea) * Lijiang (Lijiang Train Station) to Kunming (Kunming Railway Station) * Kunming (Kunming Wujiaba International Airport) to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (Jacksons International Airport) *Port Moresby (Rouna Falls) *Port Moresby (Idler's Beach) *Port Moresby (National Capital Botanical Gardens) In this Detour, teams had to choose between Spirit Dance and Bamboo Bands. In Spirit Dance, teams had to follow a marked path to participate in a pair of local rituals known as singsing and fire dancing. First, teams had to collect wood and use a flint to start a fire, with the assistance of a tribal leader. Then, teams had to paint their body with traditional paints, before wearing a large traditional mask and learning a tribal war chant and dance routine, performed around the fire. Once teams performed their chant and dance to the tribal leader's satisfaction, they would receive their next clue. In Bamboo Bands, teams had to follow a different marked path and then don grass skirts. Then, teams would be taught to play a traditional tune on a traditional instrument made out of hollow bamboo sticks attached together and played by hitting the hollow ends of the bamboo. Once teams performed their tune to their teacher's satisfaction, they would receive their next clue. In this Roadblock, teams had to work with seashells, which, in the past, were the officially currency of Papua New Guinea. Teams had to search through several hundred jars filled to the brim with seashells and lined up along this stretch of beach, attempting to find one of four seashells painted red and yellow. Once teams found their elusive seashell, they could exchange it for their next clue. Leg 14 (Papua New Guinea → United States) * Port Moresby (Jacksons International Airport) to Boise, Idaho, United States (Boise International Airport) *Boise (Camelsback Park) *Boise (Julia Davis Park - Friendship Bridge) *Boise (Wilderness Ranch) *Mountain Home (Mountain Home Air Force Base) *Bruneau (Bruneau Dunes State Park) In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Sticks and Stones. In Sticks, teams had to make their way to the headquarters of Micron Technology, a multinational corporation based in Boise. Once there, teams were given a laptop and had to search through over a hundred memory sticks to find one containing a video file of Phil giving teams their next clue. In Stones, teams had to make their way a slightly shorter distance to the Egyptian Theatre in Boise. Once there, teams were given ten different varieties of precious stones that have been discovered in Idaho, including the rare star garnet, which has only been discovered in the Himalayas and Idaho. Then, teams had to take to the streets, asking the help of the locals to match their ten precious stones with a list of eleven names. Teams were not allowed to access the Internet or ask a local to access the Internet throughout the duration of this task. Once teams had identified all ten precious stones, they would receive their next clue. In the first Roadblock, one team member would enter a sheep enclosure and had to separate the twenty sheep into two groups - Roadblocks and Detours. Each sheep was wearing a bandana around their necks depicting a task performed either as part of a Roadblock or a Detour. Once all the sheep were in the correct enclosures, teams would receive their next clue. In the second Roadblock, the team member who did not complete the first Roadblock had to arrange thirty Air Force soldiers into the correct order. Each soldier had the picture of sights seen throughout the race course on a badge pinned to their uniform, and the performing team member had to arrange the soldiers in the order that they saw these sights throughout the race course. Once all thirty soldiers were in the correct order, teams would receive the final clue of the race. Additional tasks *At Julia Davis Park, each team member had to write a short letter about the eternal friendship they have developed with their partner throughout the race, and throw it off Friendship Bridge into the Boise River for good luck, before receiving their next clue. *Prior to the Roadblock at Mountain Home Air Force Base, teams had to board a fighter plane and be flown in the air. Then, while flying at low altitude, both team members had to wing walk. Each team member had to walk and retrieve a race flag hanging on each wing of the aircraft. Once both team members were safely back in the cockpit, the plane would land and teams would be handed their next clue. Technical notes *This episode aired as part of a 90-minute special. Route map